


Antiope & Theseus

by carter-sg-1 (Areneth)



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-22 15:34:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22118176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Areneth/pseuds/carter-sg-1
Summary: Another Talent night, reluctant participants, lost bets, meddling crew - all is well in the Delta Quadrant or is it?
Relationships: Chakotay & Kathryn Janeway, Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway
Comments: 8
Kudos: 30





	Antiope & Theseus

"Second thoughts commander?" Captain Janeway inquired of her first officer, attempting to fit into her costume.

"Second, fourth, sixth... When this is all over I’ll want my sanity back." he said, trying to figure out where the costume pants had gone.  
  
"You say that now Chakotay but wait until..."  
  
"No, no buts. Have you seen this... this..." he pointed at his too-short tunic, at loss for words.   
  
"Outfit?" she offered absentmindedly, doing her best to buckle the matching garment adorning her tiny frame and not ogle her second in command.   
  
"Not helping." he exclaimed pointing to the poorly designed faux Roman armour that served to cover and protect less than his modesty.   
  
"I'll make it up to you Chakotay. Could you help me with the cuirass?"  
  
He made short work of the fasteners. "You keep saying that but, frankly, I'm starting to think nothing can possibly be worth this, not even our friendship."  
  
"Fine!" She snapped scratching her thigh - the outfits were apparently made from the coarsest wool that could be replicated this side of BC .

"Might I remind you it was not just me that got us into this mess?" She continued glaring at him. "While I still believe that Sandarine's pool table was rigged for my match with Paris, you lost fair and square the monthly rings tournament to B'elanna!" some of her glare's potency was lost on him due to their current height difference. She barely reached over his shoulder in her army sandals.

"It's is hardly my fault our senior staff decided to sell us both out to Neelix!" he defended.

"It is Chakotay, it is. And if anyone should be mad about this it's me! Had you not decided to play possum and continued to avoid Talent night by hiding the fact you took part in Academy productions they never would have picked this particular form of torture! How could you ever think you could keep it hidden? You played Macbeth for gods sake! It's easily search-able in the Academy Archives! You couldn't keep it a secret forever!"

He fumed snatching the script from the dressing room table waving the cover page in her face. "Well they could have chosen a different play!"

The page proclaiming, in thick bold lettering - WARRIOR'S HUSBAND, stared her in the face. 

"They are mocking us!"

Kathryn softened a bit, lowering his arm and the offending script along with it.

"Well we did pretend to be married again last week in order to avoid another diplomatic disaster." She reasoned. "Plus, they probably though it would be harmless fun, us prancing around in armour, sword fighting one another."

"I don't mind that part Kathryn, and you know it. What I mind is their insatiable appetite for gossip and ham-fisted attempts at match making. I will kill Paris for doing this to, to ... us."

She deflated completely raising her hand to rest it on his chest. Although with the Doctor's costume choice of an "authentic" leather cuirass with exaggerated muscle "relief" she doubted he could even tell the hand was there. 

"They don't know Chakotay." He did not look convinced. She implored with her eyes, hoping he would not force her to voice it. 

99% of the time they cheerfully managed to ignore their personal Elephant in the room. Chakotay closed his eyes, grasping her hand, taking comfort in her touch for the moment.

"I hope you know me better than to think I would ever take lightly or make fun of what we … have. They don't know about it. Please, believe me." she implored quietly.

He reluctantly nodded his head opening his eyes.

"Besides...it's our play - we get to decide which act to play out."

Chakotay's grin slowly returned - "Why captain I like the way you think - might I suggest act 4?"

"Why commander, you read my mind." the matching sly grin graced her face.

"Alright, let's do it!"

... 

A week later the Talent night was in full swing as they waited their turn behind the stage.

While they had gotten a bit more comfortable walking around and sparring in their outfits in the course of the week, their costumes had never gotten any more comfortable.

On stage Sam WIldman and Ayala were bowing to the thunderous applause. Their demonstration of K'tarian acrobatic version of ballroom dancing had apparently been as captivating as it's name had suggested. 

"Let's go commander. These will never get more comfortable and I for one can't wait to get it all off me." - Kathryn proceeded to push him out on stage, putting a stop to inevitable innuendos. 

"Yes my "Queen"" he squeaked, stabbing his toe on a lose floorboard. Did Doc really have to make everything so realistic?!

"That's General to you." She hissed. 

He took a deep breath as the music swelled, their cue to enter the stage.

"Right. Let's get it over with." 

**********************************

In the end Chakotay couldn't remember much of their Talent night performance with the exception of the silence that met them as they showed up on the stage and the thunderous applause that broke out as the curtain went down on the final scene - Antiope pinning down Theseus, about to kiss him. The emphasis on About. The curtain dropped, perfectly timed, denying their meddling crew any satisfaction of a theatrical kiss. The rest was a blur. 

They bowed to the crowd and ran for the dressing room, giddy with knowledge that it was all done and behind them.

"Please never let me make any bets with our intrepid crew ever again." Kathryn panted closing the dressing room door.

"Likewise." Chakotay nodded, pulling at his breastplate fastener, eager to get the costume off of him.

"Here, I'll help you with yours, you start on mine." Kathryn offered, her nimble fingers making fast work of the complicated fasteners.

Chakotay stilled for a moment startled by her proximity before raising his hands to help her out of her costume.

They were down to their woollen tunics in no time... only to realise that their clothes had gone missing from the dressing room.

Chakotay was livid - *Paris!*.

Kathryn forestalled his fury, raising a hand.  
"Computer, locate commander Chakotay."

"Commander Chakotay is located on Deck 6, Holodeck 1."

"Well that's not helpful...computer, can you narrow it down?"

"Specify."

"Where, in relation to the Captain is the Commander located on the Holodeck?"

"Commander Chakotay is in direct proximity to the Captain, current distance 2 centimetres."

"Distance to Commander from my current postion?"

"Unable to extrapolate, bio signature does not match com signature."

"OK, that's not going to work....Let's go about it differently. Computer, I need one standard uniform, female, command red, size small."

*Unable to comply, replication functionality disabled for the running simulation.*

"Override, authorisation Janeway Lambda Five Echo."

*Unable to comply, modifications to current program restricted to Paris, Thomas Eugene, Lieutenant.*

"Override. Authorisation Janeway Three Seven Bravo Four."

Warning. Command level Override will shut down the program, do you wish to proceed?

Janeway swore.

Chakotay had had enough. He shut his eyes firmly and commanded:

"Computer, lock on to mine and next closest bio signatures, initiate emergency site to site transport to the captain's quarters, security override Chakotay Kapa Charlie Two"

"Chakotay wha.." Kathryn managed before the transport beam engulfed them.

"..t are you doing?" the transport had completed, they were standing in her quarters … sans their holo-roman regalia... naked.

She blushed realising why Chakotay had closed his eyes before the transport.

"I had a hunch Paris might try another juvenile stunt, so I had a backup plan." he explained keeping his eyes closed, allowing her the time to escape to the privacy of her bedroom. 

He could tell she was still standing in front of him. Probably a bit shell shocked.

"Kathryn?" Lowering his voice he added. "Tell me when it's safe to look." 

She couldn't, despite the circumstances, help but smile. Always a gentleman, keeping his promise to try and make it easier for her. She desperately wanted to hug him, but didn't want to make it more awkward for them than it already was. In the end she settled for cupping his cheek. 

He leaned into her touch.

"Thank you. Just give me a second." She moved away, slowly turning away, resisting the urge sneak a peek.

Once in the bedroom she let him know it was safe to look.

Chakotay opened his eyes and headed for the replicator refusing to dwell on the sounds coming from the bedroom.

He punched in his order. A moment later a replacement uniform was ready. At least the replicator was working as it should. He proceeded to dress, focusing on his task.

"Safe?" Kathryn asked as he was pulling on his jacket.

"As safe as it will ever be." He answered, trying to keep things light despite his anger at being pranked. 

Kathryn returned to the living room, dressed in her uniform, minus the pips - those could not be replicated on a whim. 

"You are taking this awfully well Kathryn."

Her eyes shone with rage for a moment "Oh trust me, I am saving my wrath for the right moment." 

Chakotay almost felt sympathy for the poor bastard that had concocted the prank… almost..

"It's a safe bet the pips were stowed near the comm badges." he offered pulling on his ear.

Kathryn nodded in agreement. "Computer locate Commander Chakotay."

Commander Chakotay is currently located on deck 6, Holodeck 1. 

"Still there." "I don't think we should beam over the commbadges, or we'll never find the rank insignia. "

She looked at her second in command expectantly "What do you say to a second visit to the Holodeck Commander?"

He offered her the crook of his arm "By all means… General. We do have some wayward troops to deal with."

She grinned, accepting his proffered arm and steered them out of her quarters. 

************

As they neared Holodeck 1 they could hear B'elanna raging on - most likely at Tom.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! Why would you do this? Why? They have just started acting normal again around one another."

Kathryn's eyes snapped towards Chakotay, but he was keeping an eye on the hallway junction not wanting to be caught eavesdropping by their chief engineer.

Had their post Equinox friction been that obvious to the crew? She had been so sure they had not let their personal issues muddle their professional relationship. Was she wrong? Had their private … differences bled into it? Were they that transparent to the crew?

B'elanna was in full swing, leaving no time for replies "This is the most moronic prank you have ever pulled Paris!" 

Ah, so it was Tom.

She could be heard stomping off in their direction.

"It was not me B'e! I swear!" Tom finally managed.

B'Elanna continued on, apparently not caring for his excuses only to run into the command team and did not seem all that surprised by it.

She stopped, facing Kathryn.

"Captain, I am ready to accept full responsibility for the Holodeck as I had no idea it had been rigged but beyond that I really have no excuse for the prank. None."

"At ease B'elanna, I believe you. This sort of thing is bellow you." She said the last part looking at Tom who had followed B'elanna at a safe distance.

"Captain, it was not me. I swear!" he tried again.

"Then who was it Crewman Paris." Chakotay barked. Tom gulped, it was the third time in as many years he would apparently be demoted.

"I will find out, as soon as possible." he turned about and headed back for the Holodeck.

"Oh and Tom." Chakotay interjected menacingly, "We would like our rank insignia back ASAP or we will have to demote quite a number of people to collect enough pips for our uniforms. You might want to enlist some help with this… sooner rather than later." Kathryn's hand on his arm stopped him from growling more at Tom who had gone quite pale. Chakotay swore he could see him gulp. 

"Yes sir!" he squeaked rushing towards the Holodeck door.

B'Elanna turned toward the Captain, ready to apologise some more, but Kathryn forestalled it with a raised hand. "Let's just see what he can come up with … before releasing wrath upon the general, possibly, innocent audience." She inndicated the Holodeck "shall we?".

B'Elanna and Chakotay led the way in.

++++++++

The Talent night was still in full swing so they decided to settle down in the last row of the theatre and follow the rest of the proceedings… as well as keep an eye on Tom who seem to be frantically gesturing at the Doctor seated in the mezzanine.

They were offered popcorn by a holographic vendor and Kathryn decided to try to enjoy the rest of the evening. She could practically feel tension oozing from B'Elanna and kept Chakotay in his seat and away from Tom by occasionally touching his arm and offering him popcorn anytime she felt he was about to head out and join the "investigation". She grew a bit tired of it after 15 minutes and decided it would be safer to put him in charge of holding the popcorn bucket. 

He grudgingly accepted the assignment and mulishly grabbed a large handful of said popcorn only to nearly choke a second later. B'Elanna and Kathryn turned to him in alarm to witness him coughing up, what at first glance, appeared to be a golden kernel but on second glance turned out to definitely be a rank pip. It seemed to be mocking them all, glinting merrily in his palm.

"Is that?"...

"One of yours?" Chakotay turned it carefully in his hand - there was a small number 3 carved on the underside alongside nearly invisible lettering. "Yup."

He turned it over to Kathryn and dug his hand deeper into the bucket. In less than a minute he produced three more "kernels" marked 1, 2 and 4, his own rank bar and two comm badges. All of them slightly greasy from the popcorn, but otherwise none the worse for wear.

"How in Gre'Thor did that get in there!" B'Elanna exclaimed receiving a shush from the front row for her trouble.

Kathryn pointed toward the exit, deciding that that she didn't want to end the Talent night, but not ready to let the prankster get scott free.

Chakotay beat them to the Holodeck control console and was already furiously inputting queries by the time she and her chief engineer had managed to extricate herself from the program. 

"Let me see." B'Elanna said as they joined him. A few seconds later she proclaimed "This can't be right."

"Why, what have you found?"

"Let's get to hololab - I want to run trace scan on the pips."

"B'Elanna?" Kathryn stopped her form moving toward the other door down the coridor.

"Look I can't be sure, and it seems impossible, but…"

"Yes?"

"According to the computer, noone tempered with the uniforms, pips or the changing room." Chakotay explained dragging her towards the lab.

"What do you mean NO-ONE - they had gone missing, you found them in the popcorn bucket! I sure as hell don't recall putting them there?!" Kathryn exclaimed.

"That's just it Captain. No One… As incredible as it seems, and I refuse to exclude tempering with the sensors, it looks as though no person moved the items."

B'Elanna started the sensor diagnostics entering a barrage of commands into the lab computer.

"Can I have a pip?"

Chakotay handed his bar over wordlessly to B'Elanna who deposited it on to the sensor panel.

They all stared at the readout.

"This can't be true. Check the Doctor's whereabouts, he is the only crew member without a bio signature." Kathryn said.

"Already ahead of you, he was wearing his holoemitter the entire night in case he was needed for an emergency outside the holodeck."

Chakotay summed it out loud "So we are saying, that, what? The Captain and I got pranked by Voyager? The computer mainframe did this? How is that even remotely possible?"

"Look, I can't say right now without further diagnostics but… as incredible as it sounds - Yes. We should get Harry and Seven here to assist."

Kathryn nodded in agreement and was already typing away at the second console.

Chakotay feeling a bit out of his depth decided to leave them to it and instead seek out Tom and put him out of his misery.

............

Several hours later most of the senior staff was gathered in the holo lab with the notable exception of Tom and Tuvok.

"We have gone through all of the diagnostic and sensor data multiple times Captain," Seven was saying "Voyager's main computer used the transporter to displace the items throughout the Holodeck."

"It would appear" Harry interjected " that the main computer's new tactical system subroutines, intended to augment automatic targeting subsystem, exceeded their original parameters and spread to other subsystems through the ship's bioneural network adding and augmenting AI subroutines as they went."

"In essence making the ship more curious about the crew and their social interactions, gathering information to use to further augment the new prediction algorithms. It scoured sensor data, sensor logs, official and personal computer logs.." The Doctor added trailing off holding the PADD with additional findings in his hand.

Chakotay was wise enough to stop a more detailed speculation as to why the computer decided to hide their possessions. He relieved the Doctor of the PADD and asked "Can we revert it? Contain it to the tactical system as it was originally intended?". 

B'Elanna was quick to agree to the idea "Yes, now that we know it is happening we can get to it and have the computer purged by the end of the shift."

Not even the Doctor complained. One only wanted a computer to do so much speculating when it came to one's personal affairs.

"All right, do it. I'll leave you to it and expect a report by the end of beta shift tomorrow. Good work everyone." Kathryn said.

Chakotay was already moving out of the lab, still gripping the PADD.  
.....

The ride to deck 3 was silent. Kathryn felt as though the Elephant was crammed into the turbolift between her and a brooding Chakotay.

Chakotay brooding was never a good thing.

"Want to talk abo..." she tried.

"No."

He stalked off as soon as the doors hissed open.

She trailed in his wake.

"Chakotay..."

He ignored her, entering his quarters as soon as the doors opened marching towards the sofa. He tossed the incriminating PADD and set down heavily, resting his head on the back cushion. He looked up up at the stars through the view-port hoping they would calm him down.

Kathryn remained just outside his quarters, the proximity sensor keeping the doors opened. She knew she should leave him in peace but couldn't bring herself to walk away. Underneath all the brooding he was hurting, and he would never walk away from her if the situation was reversed.

So, in the end, she entered his quarters and moved just far enough to let the door finally hiss closed behind her. 

Chakotay did not move on the couch. She wasn't even sure he had realised she had followed him in.

He looked so tired and worn out. 

So much for Talent night serving as relaxation.

"Aren't you going to ask me what's on the PADD?" he asked, not looking away from the stars.

So he knew she had followed him in… and hadn't tried to kick her out. So far so good.

"No." She moved closer and set down next to him on the couch. "I don't care about the PADD. Talk to me…"

His jaw clenched in answer. Whatever it was… he was unwilling on unable to just let it go.

Time for more drastic measures.

Kathryn decided after another few minutes of silence. She moved closer to him and gently rested her hand on his cheek.

He closed his eyes against the caress.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here when you are ready to talk...".

She lowered the hand to his chest and nestled into him, her head resting against his shoulder.

Listening to his heartbeat, she could feel herself falling asleep.

Some time later, it could have been minutes or hours, she could feel him covering them with the blanket that usually adorned the back of the sofa. He tucked her in and hugged her to him.

"Chakotay..." she tried sleepily.

**

"Shhhh, sleep… we'll talk later."

He said, wide awake, praying to spirits she would not resist. 

To his relief she snuggled even closer and her breathing evened out a few seconds later.

He was not ready to talk… yet. And while holding her close was a torture in it's own right it helped calm him down immensely.

Her proximity always did.

Ayala, the only person he had ever talked to about it, had joked good-naturedly that it must be Kathryn's pheromones and found it even more hilarious in light of Kathryn's portrayal of Queen Arachnia. 

Nothing ever stayed a secret long on their ship… nothing.

He looked down at the PADD detailing the exhaustive research the computer had carried out on "Subjects Alpha One and Two"...Kathryn and Chakotay.

Their friendship and whatever more they were - clinically catalogued and dissected down to chemical reactions and hormonal imbalances, urges… cheapening everything they were to one another. He felt violated, furious and inconsolable at the same time.

He sighed.

Kathryn burrowed further into him for… what? Warmth? Comfort? Was it all an instinct, an urge?

Her gravely voice startled him from his revelry.

"Whatever it is on that damned padd just delete it."

He pulled the corner of the blanket, revealing her sleep flushed face and twinkling pools of cobalt.

"Just destroy it? You don't even know what it says..."

She hugged him hard.

"It's the computer report dissecting every log on this blasted ship making the two of us look like sex starved guinea pigs."

Chakotay was shocked.

"Wha...!?"

"I know how these algorithms work Chakotay, I know how they acquire and dissect data." She rose up to face him.

"I will not let a report that is already being purged from the mainframe cheapen what we are to one another."

She took his face in her palms.

"Don't let it get to your head, or you will start questioning every action and every thought… it's a slippery slope… one I myself have been down on."

She leaned her forehead against his. Her voice cracked a bit.

"My best friend helped me see the error of my ways. He was there for me in the darkest of times… even though I did not see it at the time..."

He could feel her tears dampening his neck. "Oh Kathryn..."

He hugged her to him.

"I couldn't do any of this without you by my side." she whispered into his neck.

His heart skipped a beat, he was sure of it.

He kissed her hair. "I will always be here for you no matter what. "

"I know and… although I never told you this, I do hope you know how much I..."

She lifted her head to look him in the eyes "...love you Chakotay."

He smiled, using his thumbs to wipe the tears away from her cheeks.

"I know Kathryn because you tell me every day in your own way, a touch, a look, a smile, not backing down when you know I am wrong… there are so many ways to say it."

He gently kissed her lips and leaned his forehead back against hers. "Thank you for saying it out loud too." He could feel her heartbeat racing against his palms where they rested on her neck. He decided to break the tension.

"And in case you are, for whatever unfathomable reason, unaware of my feelings…" he could feel her grinning "I love you...too."  
He looked into her eyes making sure she understood. 

"Always."

**Author's Note:**

> This one has been sitting in the WIP pile for a while, and think it needs to get out into the Wild - I could never write smut so :P
> 
> I give you a pic instead! 
> 
> And as always, no beta so all mistakes are my own ;)


End file.
